f drab colour,
and peculiar cut. What do you ask for this?"

"That's not fit for, a gentleman like you, sir," said Kinch.

"I'm the best judge of that matter," rejoined Mr. Stevens. "What is the
price of it?"

"Oh, that coat you can have for a dollar," replied Kinch.

"Then I'll take it. Now hand out some trowsers."

The trowsers were brought; and from a large number Mr. Stevens selected a
pair that suited him. Then adding an old hat to his list of purchases, he
declared his fit-out complete.

"Can't you accommodate me with some place where I can put these on?" he
asked of Kinch; "I'm going to have a little sport with some friends of
mine, and I want to wear them."

Kinch led the way into a back room, where he assisted Mr. Stevens to array
himself in his newly-purchased garments. By the change in his attire he
seemed completely robbed of all appearance of respectability; the most
disagreeable points of his physique seemed to be brought more prominently
forward by the habiliments he had assumed, they being quite in harmony with
his villanous countenance.

Kinch, who looked at him with wonder, was forced to remark, "Why, you don't
look a bit like a gentleman now, sir."

Mr. Stevens stepped forward, and surveyed himself in the looking-glass. The
transformation was complete--surprising even to himself. "I never knew
before," said he, mentally, "how far a suit of clothes goes towards giving
one the appearance of a gentleman."

He now emptied the pockets of the suit he had on;--in so doing, he dropped
upon the floor, without observing it, one of the papers.

"Fold these up," said he, handing to Kinch the suit he had just taken off,
"and to-morrow bring them to this address." As he spoke, he laid his card
upon the counter, and, after paying for his new purchases, walked out of
the shop, and bent his steps in the direction of Whitticar's tavern.

On arriving there, he found the bar-room crowded with half-drunken men, the
majority of whom were Irishmen, armed with bludgeons of all sizes and
shapes. His appearance amongst them excited but little attention, and he
remained there some time before he was recognized by the master of the
establishment.

"By the howly St. Patherick I didn't know you, squire; what have you been
doing to yourself?"

"Hist!" cried Mr. Stevens, putting his fingers to his lips; "I thought it
was best to see how matters were progressing, so I've run down for a little
while. How are you getti